Lee Johnson was always Hibs ’ top choice - but Jon Dahl Tomasson priced himself out of the Easter Road job.
Former Sunderland and Bristol City boss Johnson is expected to be confirmed as the new Hibs boss in the next 24 hours.
The 40-year-old is scheduled to arrive in Edinburgh to finalise and sign his contract that will see him succeed Shaun Maloney.
Johnson and Dahl Tomasson were the final two on the managerial shortlist and after a thorough selection process the board decided that the Englishman was the preferred candidate.
The former Hearts and Kilmarnock player has also taken a significant cut in what he was earning in previous jobs to take up the top job in Leith.
Hibs also held talks with Tomasson.
The former Malmo boss was a favourite with a lot of the fans but his financial demands “were excessive”.
The talks also left question marks as to whether or not the Dane really wanted the job and to make Hibs successful.
There were also concerns that Dahl Tomasson wasn’t fully aware of the British and Scottish players pools, where the club would primarily have to shop.
Johnson has worked in the lower leagues in England, brought players from north of the border and also had two playing spells here.
Johnson, who had a spell at Hearts and Kilmarnock as a player, will want to bring in his long-term No. 2 Jamie McAllister while there will also be place for current first-team coach David Gray, who was caretaker boss until the end of the season, in the new set-up.
Johnson has been out of football since he left Sunderland at the end of January, despite delivering the Papa John’s trophy last year.
